WESTFIELD, NJ – For resident Mark Grinis, attending Franklin School’s Parent Teacher Organization's annual Pumpkin Fair is a family tradition and an important part of the season.

“This is the launch of fall,” Grinis said while watching his daughters play games at the fair on Saturday. “And, of course, a little candy never hurts, either.”

Thankful for sunny skies and mild weather, visitors celebrated fall and enjoyed favorite carnival-style games such as the cookie walk, throwing a golf ball in a water-filled glass vase to win a goldfish and ring-toss with mummies. Many visitors got their faces painted or jumped in the inflatable bounce house on the school’s field, as well. Hot dogs, pizza, cotton candy and Halloween-themed baked goodies were also on hand.

Alex Grinis, seven, and her sister Sasha, six, were thrilled to win goldfish for the first time. What was Alex planning on naming her new pet?

“Cupcake,” she said after a moment’s thinking.

Susan Francis, co-chair of the event with Allison Friedman, expected about 600-800 visitors to come to the fair. Around 200 volunteers planned, organized, set up and worked the event.

A centerpiece of the Pumpkin Fair is the class basket raffle. Parents from each class at Franklin prepare themed gift baskets with donated items which are raffled off. Attendees could browse a display of this year’s baskets and enter to win prizes while strolling around the fair.

“All the proceeds from that go directly back to the teachers and their wish lists,” Francis said.

A sixth grade student at Roosevelt Intermediate School, Katie McHugh appreciated returning to her former elementary school, helping at the mummy ring toss game and seeing familiar faces.

“I saw a lot of my teachers here,” she said while getting her face painted with the name of her soccer team.

The fair tends to draw visitors from around Westfield and beyond. Tina Ford of Plainfield brought her daughter and grandson to the fair for the second year. She looked on while four year-old Ja’Sere Ford got a football painted on his face.

The boy seemed happy with the football but was eager to go on to the next attraction.

WESTFIELD, NJ — What separates great athletes from good athletes is not only skill, but the determination to constantly improve. Great athletes must not only work hard, but to work hard even when it is not asked of them. Perfectly embodying these traits is senior Cory Hiltz,which is why the Westfield High School varsity baseball player is this week’s Ron Bansky and Associates Allstate ...

Kubiak enters his second with the Somerset Patriots and his third year in the Atlantic League. The 6’7” righty made 21 appearances (18 starts) with the Patriots last year. He earned five wins and carried a 3.83 ERA with 117 strikeouts against 34 walks ...

WESTFIELD – The Westfield Board of Education unanimously voted to support the motion to name the updated concession stand at Westfield’s Kehler Stadium after former girls’ cross country and track & field Coach Thom Hornish.

“We are very grateful for the efforts of the Friends of Westfield Track to put together a concession stand that’s presentable and also we ...

ELIZABETH, NJ — A rainbow flag will fly for the first time at the Union County Courthouse in recognition of June as LGBTQ Pride Month.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has announced they are holding a public Pride Flag Raising Ceremony for Monday, June 4 at 1 p.m. on the steps of the historic Union County Courthouse on Broad Street in Elizabeth.

WESTFIELD, NJ — Mayor Shelley Brindle called for a moment of silence at Tuesday night’s town council meeting to remember Westfield Police Detective Eric Lieberman, who she said died suddenly Tuesday morning.

Lieberman was a 27-year veteran of the police department and father of two. His father, Phil, is also a veteran of the Westfield PD.*

ELIZABETH, NJ — A rainbow flag will fly for the first time at the Union County Courthouse in recognition of June as LGBTQ Pride Month.

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has announced they are holding a public Pride Flag Raising Ceremony for Monday, June 4 at 1 p.m. on the steps of the historic Union County Courthouse on Broad Street in Elizabeth.

Editor's note: The following is a response to a letter sent to parents from Westfield High School Principal Derrick Nelson telling parents that, due to the potential of Kehler Field being re-turfed, this year’s graduation will be held on the back field behind Westfield High School, with the inclement weather location the varsity gymnasium. The letter tells parents ...

A resident of Vernon Terrace reported the theft of a package from their front porch on May 12, 2018 between 11:40 a.m. and 5 p.m.

May 19, 2018 1:16 p.m.

Rhonda Boston, age 32, of Newark, NJ was arrested on the strength of an outstanding warrant for her arrest from Westfield Municipal Court in the amount of $580. Subject was picked up at New Jersey State ...

Home gardeners and property managers who are interested in joining the native plant movement can get resources and information – and plants – through the Union County “Plant Swap & Shop” event on Thursday evening, June 7, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Union County Demonstration Garden in the Watchung Reservation.

Q: My son's best friend's mom just passed away. I am concerned for my son and don't know what to do for him. He is distraught. How can I help my son?

Response:

Grief is a normal and natural reaction to the death of a loved one. No two people grieve the same, even in the family. I am certain that your son’s friend and mom are like family to your son. Losing his ...

This week's feature will focus on TAPinto Paterson's franchisee, Steve Lenox. Find out how the current owner of a public affairs firm went from a former State Director for Senator Frank Lautenberg to a proud TAPinto franchisee for New Jersey's third largest city.

Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper is pleased to announce that John H. Schmidt has once again been recognized by “Chambers USA” in their annual list of leading lawyers for business. Chambers and Partners, which produces “Chambers USA,” is a client referral organization that researches and subjectively ranks attorneys and law firm practice groups nationwide ...

Karl Marx may have been the pioneer, but many other Jews were also involved in the struggle for communism, particularly in the early days of the Russian revolution. Personally, I don’t think that we have any apologies to make for this phenomenon. Having suffered unbearably under successive oppressive regimes, many of those political activists genuinely thought communism would be better ...

Investors remain concerned about the potential impact of higher interest rates on stocks. In their most recently released minutes, the Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee indicated the US economy is on solid footing and the economic conditions warrant continued gradual increasing of interest rates. This set off a sale in the stock and bond markets as investors began pricing in a fourth ...

On this week’s AtlantiCast, learn some important tips for controlling and avoiding diabetes from an Atlantic Health System expert, see how Atlantic Health is advancing cutting-edge research, hear what’s being done to keep health care environmentally friendly and much more!